The Trust On…
The Yorkist History Trust at ICMS Kalamazoo 2025

The Yorkist History Trust was delighted to host two highly successful sessions at the 60th International Congress for Medieval Studies at Western Michigan University this May as part of its Ruby Anniversary celebrations.

They sent an enthusiastic delegation of six Europe and US-based medievalists to Kalamazoo from the 8th to the 10th May, determined to explore the Congress fully whilst publicising the Trust’s work, and endeavouring to keep their return bag weight allocation below 23 kilos (the excellent book sale proving particularly tempting on that front!).

The impeccably organised event comprised 448 sessions across the three days along with stalls, sales, performances, demonstrations and installations designed to keep attendees wholly entertained throughout their visit. Highlights included: a demonstration of reproduction medieval musical instruments; a virtual reality installation in the Waldo Library allowing delegates to ‘enter a medieval chapel’ and ‘handle medieval relics’, and the aforementioned *dangerous* book sale with representatives from numerous publishing houses specialising in medieval studies. Also, to the delight of the YHT delegation there was much medieval themed swag to peruse, including various Yorkist-themed souvenirs like ‘Team York’ tote bags and white rose badges.

The two sessions hosted by the Trust attracted a crowd of over forty interested participants both virtual and in-person, who came to listen to the papers, and buy Yorkist History Trust publications on display.

Our speakers kicked off on the Saturday morning with an ‘In-person only’ session entitled ‘England in the Later Fifteenth Century (1): Culture and Society’ introduced and presided over by Dr Ted Westervelt, Independent Scholar and Trust supporter, who joined from Washington DC.

The first paper delivered by the Trust’s Chairman Dr Christian Steer was entitled ‘Dying to be Remembered: The Mercers of London (1479-86)’. It included a compelling look at the efforts this most wealthy set of London merchants went to, to expedite their exit from Purgatory to Paradise. They made charitable donations on an enormous scale, and arranged provision for a much longer period of remembrance for themselves than the standard London will-maker. Steer argued that they had many fingers in many pies and the detailed arrangements for their post-mortem care served to highlight this, both in the city and beyond.

The second paper delivered by trustee Dr Philip Muijtjens from the Université Catholique de Louvain concerned his Trust-commissioned work on the archive of the English Hospice in Rome in the later medieval period. It was entitled ‘English Politicians, Pilgrims and Refugees in Late Medieval Rome: The Confraternity of St. Thomas (ca 1440-1540)’, and gave an evocative account of the myriad lives intertwined with the hospice. Dr Muijtjens showed that St Thomas’ was not just a place of refuge for English visitors to the city but a home to a variety of visitors of varying nationalities. Moreover, owing to relations with similar institutions across the city, the hospice played an integral part in a fascinating wider international social, political and religious milieu in Rome, which Dr Muijtjens hopes to further illuminate in his future studies. His edition of the material in the archives, relating to the English and Welsh in Rome in the late Middle Ages, will be published by the Trust in 2027/8.

After an obligatory lunch of freshly stone-baked pizza in the Student Center (Centre!), the afternoon session entitled ‘England in the Later Fifteenth Century (2): Politics, Diplomacy and Historiography’ began, presided over by Yorkist History Trust Chairman Dr Christian Steer.

As well as in-person, this hybrid session had a number of delegates attending virtually. In fact, the absorbing first paper entitled ‘Richard, Duke of York: From Royalist to Rebel’ was delivered online from London by trustee Dr James Ross of the University of Winchester. Arguably, the duke of York was Henry VI’s greatest subject and Dr Ross firstly sought to bridge the gap between the duke’s private and public concerns. These concerns meshed most closely when finances were under consideration, and Ross argued persuasively that monies owed to the duke by Henry VI’s government were a critical bone of contention. The final part of Ross’s paper refocused attention on 1451 rather than 1450, a period which he argues, is essential in understanding York’s actions in his journey from loyal subject, to critic, and finally to rebel.

The second paper was undertaken by supporter of the Trust, Professor A. Compton Reeves and focussed on historian Paul Murray Kendall. It was entitled ‘Paul Murray Kendall and The Yorkist Age’. Reeves enlightened us on Kendall’s background and journey as a medievalist, explaining how in his expressive and occasionally florid writing, Kendall was endeavouring to ‘catch people in action’. A successor to Kendall at the University of Ohio, Reeves also explained Kendall’s admiration of Edward IV in his book ‘The Yorkist Age’ for the King’s openness to learning and his people management skills, and how he felt that Kendall should be celebrated for the influence he has had on subsequent historians of the period.

And lastly, the session concluded with a paper by Dr Edward Meek, Independent Scholar, concerning his Trust-commissioned research on rarely seen diplomatic letters at the archives in Lille. Entitled ‘English Diplomatic Documents and Letters at the Archives Départementales du Nord at Lille (1461-85)’ Meek gave a startling insight into the sense of awe and privilege he experienced working with these documents, illuminating how it felt to essentially be one item away from the individuals (including the king) he has studied for so long. The documentary evidence at Lille he argued, is of critical importance to a full understanding of the relations with England at the time, including the politics, diplomacy and wider literary and visual culture of the Yorkist period. It was a tantalising glimpse at what can be expected in his future work, especially as a lot of these treasures will subsequently become more accessible for future scholars as a result of his Trust-funded research.

After a lively discussion, this wrapped up a fantastic few days at the ‘Zoo’ where the Yorkist History Trust gained real traction in raising the profile of its core aim – to ‘further, education, learning and research related to the history of late medieval England and to disseminate the results of such education, learning and research’.

Exciting discussions on future endeavours were undertaken, friendships and connections were made, collaborations were discussed, new work was considered and multiple books were sold and purchased! Hopefully, further successful visits to this highly organised, influential, and enjoyable medieval conference can be undertaken by Trust delegates in the years to come.

Ben Fortune